Dancing in the Rain
by Tara-Lynn Tam
Summary: Luna Lovegood dances in the rain, watched by six people who don't really know what to make of it.


A/N: I know similar things have been done but I just wanted to write this. I love Luna and I can so picture her doing this. And I think some people would notice.

Title: Dancing in the Rain

Most people stay inside on rainy days. They play chess or drink tea or play exploding snap, or sometimes sit and stare out the window, wishing for the rain to stop. Then again, Luna Lovegood isn't most people.

It was Anthony Goldstein who saw her first. He had always prided himself on being observant, but because he was reading, he had failed to notice the darkening skies above until it started raining hard. He was just outside the front doors at the time, and was getting up to go inside, when she came running out into the rain. He stood there in shock for a moment. She didn't seem to have noticed him as she rushed by. Luna Lovegood came to a halt in the middle of the open grounds, her face turned up to the rain, her eyes closed, and her long blond hair loose and blowing in the wind. Then she began to dance. She was graceful and beautiful, even though she slipped in the dampening grass and her hair was in tangles. Safe in the doorway, Anthony could hear her laughter through the rain.

Neville saw her next. He had been staring out the window, thinking about his parents when he noticed movement on the grounds and saw Luna Lovegood dancing in the rain. He thought she looked beautiful out there, her arms above her head, her feet sliding and stepping. He wanted to join her, but at the same time, he thought that he would break the beauty of it. Neville couldn't help wondering why she was doing it. Why would she go outside in this weather to dance? Maybe she was looking for blibbering humdingers or something. She danced on and it occurred to Neville how strong she was, to ignore the odd looks and the giggles and whispers. He wished he could dance too.

Harry often brooded by staring out windows on rainy days, though of course, he would deny that he was brooding if asked. He saw her next, Luna Lovegood dancing in the rain. He watched her for a minute or so. He didn't know why, but he felt like he should watch, or maybe go out in the rain and dance too. He was rubbish at dancing, though. He remembered what Luna had said on the train when they first met. 'I don't like dancing much.' Yet here she was, dancing in the rain, no umbrella, no cloak, just her robes getting soaked as she danced.

Ron noticed Harry looking out the window. Of course, he knew that Harry often looked out the window when he was brooding, but this time Harry seemed to be watching something. He went to look out too and almost laughed. Loony Lovegood was dancing in the rain. He watched her for a few minutes. It fit somehow that she was dancing in the rain. He knew that people teased her. Heck, he had teased her himself a bit. But, there she was in the rain, dancing. And somehow that was right.

Hermione had followed Ron and seen Luna outside, dancing. She frowned a little. Luna was nice, odd, but nice, but Hermione didn't know why Luna was dancing in the rain. It bothered her, the not knowing. Hermione liked to know things. She supposed Luna could be looking for one of her ridiculous creatures, but it could just be one of the many strange things about Luna Lovegood. Her frown deepened. Luna could catch a cold if she stayed out there for too long, but somehow Hermione didn't want to stop Luna from dancing.

Ginny was the last to see her. She had seen Luna do strange things before and accepted them as part of Luna's charm, but she had never seen her dance in the rain before. There was something beautiful about it, even though Luna frequently slipped or stumbled in the wet grass. She wondered about it. Why would Luna risk getting sick or slipping and injuring herself just to dance? Luna had told Ginny a few times that she didn't like dancing. She opened the window of the empty classroom she had hid from Peeves in, and thought she could hear laughter echoing across the grounds from where Luna was dancing.

Luna danced in the rain for an hour, watched by her friends and an almost stranger, laughing and twirling. She danced in the rain because it was escape. She could forget about the whispers and the sniggers and the cruel jokes and the grief and the loneliness when she danced in the rain. Instead of being lonely, she could just be alone. And she was happy when she danced in the rain. She was happy and the rain welcomed her and she belonged.

A/N: So, what do you think? Good, mediocre, awful, somewhere in the middle? Let me know by reviewing! And in case you're wondering this is Neville/Luna if it's any ship but it isn't really focused on that at all. So, yeah. Review please! Please?


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